Dancing for Someone
by capercailiechild
Summary: Rory meets a handicapped girl who's having a tough time at Chilton; is there anything she can do?
1. Default Chapter

Dancing For Someone

Dancing For Someone

Rory Gilmore groaned as she boarded the Connecticut Transit public bus that would take her to Chilton Preparatory School.Mondays were her least favorite days; her Latin teacher always piled on the homework on Mondays.

The bus swung around the corner and went on for another mile, stopping in the small town of Riverford, which was slightly bigger than Stars Hollow.Rory was puzzled.The bus had never stopped in Riverford before.There were no Chilton students from Riverford, and the citizens of Riverford kept to themselves.

The bus driver, Tom, slowed the bus down at a stop near the corner of Magnolia Street.Two people were waiting – a man who looked to be in his forties, and a teenage girl in a wheelchair.The girl was wearing a Chilton uniform.As the bus pulled up, the man helped Tom the bus driver get the girl's wheelchair onto the bus.Tom came back onto the bus, and drove off.

Rory, sitting in the middle of the bus, saw the girl's eyes sweep over the bus.What was she looking for?

Apparently satisfied, the girl turned her attention to the book she held in her lap.Rory's eyes caught the title: _Dancing for Someone_, but did not recognize it.

The bus pulled up at Chilton, and Rory exited the bus without giving the girl a further thought.

Latin was over, and Rory had five pages of homework.It wasn't bad, considering that the normal was nine.She headed down the hallway and into the bathroom to fix her hair.

No one else was in the bathroom, which was a usual thing.Everyone else usually used the bathroom down at the other end of the hall.Some said it was cleaner.Others just liked that there was a window they could lean out of to smoke.Rory didn't know.To her, the small, windowless bathroom was the best place in the entire hall.

After fixing her hair, Rory turned to leave, but stopped.Someone else was in the bathroom. "Is someone in here?"

"Yes," said a panicky voice. "Who is it?"

"I'm Rory Gilmore."

"Is there a teacher around?"

Rory peered into the hallway. "No."

"Can you help me?I'm in the handicapped bathroom."

Rory pushed open the door to find the girl from the bus sitting on the floor.She had obviously fallen out of her wheelchair, and couldn't get back in. "Hi, I'm Rory," Rory said.

"Annie," the girl answered. "Annie Ecclesall.I'm so sorry.I fell."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so.It happens a lot."

"It's good you called out," Rory said, helping Annie back into her wheelchair. "No one else uses this bathroom."

"That's kind of cool," Annie said, buckling her seatbelt. "Thanks.It could be like your own private bathroom."

"That is an idea," Rory agreed.

Annie washed her hands and turned off the faucet. "So, where are you going next?"

"Algebra with Mr. Haney," Rory answered.

"Me too," Annie replied. "Is he a good teacher?"

"Pretty good," Rory informed her, holding the door open.

"Thanks."

"So, when did you move to Connecticut?" Rory questioned.

"Oh, just a month ago," Annie replied. "I've been homeschooled since then.But my dad found out about this school and thought it would be a good place to go.I wasn't sure if I'd be accepted or not.So far, I've only been on people's bad sides."

Rory stood back to inspect Annie.She looked like every other Chilton student, in her plaid skirt, white shirt, and blazer.She wore navy tights with white leg braces fastened over them, and saddle shoes.Except for the leg braces and the teal wheelchair she was sitting in, Annie was the picture of Chilton normality.

"Like who?"

"I don't know, some blond girl, and her lackeys."

Rory grinned. "So you know that word, too?I thought I was the only who used it.You mean Paris and Madeline and Louise."

"Yes, those are their names," Annie agreed.

Rory turned into Mr. Haney's classroom. "Have you met Tristan Dugray yet?"

"No."

"Stay away from him."

"Ah, another Black Plague Boy."

"What?"

"It's what we called the snotty rich prep school boys who rode my bus back in Michigan," Annie explained with a smile.

Mr. Haney began to take roll a moment after Rory and Annie came into the room. "Please respond with either 'present' or 'here.'Andrews?"

"Present."

"Arbuckle?"

"Here."

"Bascomb?"

"Here."

"Cohen?"

"Present."

"Cudgel?"

"Here."

"Dugray?"

"Present, Mr. Haney." Tristan slid into his seat just as the bell rang.

"Thank you, Mr. Dugray, for joining us," Mr. Haney said. "Ecclesall?"

"Here!" Annie said brightly.

"Welcome, Miss Ecclesall," Mr. Haney greeted Annie. "For all of you who don't know, this our new student, Annie Ecclesall.She just moved here from Temperance, Michigan.Farley?"

"Here."

"Fredericks?"

"Present."

"Fuller, Jane?"

"Present."

"Fuller, Michael?"

"Here."

The Fuller twins shot a glare at each other, then turned their attention back to the front of the room.

"Geller?"

"Here," Paris said.

"Gilmore?"

"Present," Rory responded.

"Holloman, Douglas?"

"Here."

"Holloman, Callie?"

"Here."

The Holloman cousins sat side by side in the third aisle.They looked like twins, but they weren't.

"Ingus?"

"Here."

"Joffrey?"

"Present."

"Kingman?"

"Here."

"Manning?"

"Present!" Olivia Manning was a very perky person.

"Mueller?"

"Here." Thomas Mueller was not.

"Nzyolanzya?"

"Here."

"O'Riley?"

"Here."

"Perkins?"  
"Present."

"Quentin, Gabriel?"

"Here."

"Quentin, Anastasia?"

The Quentin two were of no relation to each other.  
"Present."

"Stoltzfus?"

"Present."

"Vassar?"

"Here."

"And Zuckerman."

"Here."

Mr. Haney handed the attendance card to Thomas Mueller, who went out the door to deliver it to the attendance office. "Now, class, we're going to pick up where we left off yesterday," he said. "Miss Ecclesall, we'll get you a book.For now, please share with Miss Gilmore."

Rory pushed her desk over to Annie's, and opened the book to the place they'd been studying.Mr. Haney continued, "Who remembers what we were talking about?"

Madeline Joffrey raised her hand. "We were discussing variables."

"Correct, Miss Joffrey," Mr. Haney replied. "Can someone give us an example of an equation with variables?" He called on Lori Kingman.

"24 equals 2C," Lori answered.

"Very good, Miss Kingman," Mr. Haney praised. "Who can solve that equation?Miss Ecclesall?"

"Twelve," Annie answered.

"Correct.Can anyone else give me another example?Miss Gilmore?"

"Uh, 36 equals 4D," Rory answered quickly.

"Why don't you solve that, Mr. Dugray?"

"D equals nine," Tristan replied smoothly.

"All right, people, you seem to understand variables," Mr. Haney said. "Please do pages 14 and 15, problems eight through fifty-six for homework.Miss Ecclesall, I'll go get you a book."

"Thank you," Annie said.

Mr. Haney left the room.Everyone bent intently over their homework.Well, for a moment, anyway.As soon as he had left, Brandon Stoltzfus whispered across the aisle to Michael O'Riley, "Cripples shouldn't be in this school."

Annie's cheeks flushed a bright red. "Ignore them," Rory whispered to Annie. "Just concentrate on your homework."

Annie did so.

"They shouldn't," Michael whispered back. "Cripples should go to their own school."

"Yeah," Gabriel Quentin joined in, "like the Hartford School for the Disabled."

Annie was getting angrier. "It's okay," Rory whispered frantically. "Don't blow up at them."

"Cripples have rights, too," Tristan inserted.

"I am _not_ a cripple!" Annie yelled at them suddenly.Her outburst startled Tristan so much that he dropped his book. "Just because I can't walk doesn't mean I'm stupid!In fact, I have more compassion than _you_ bean-brains ever will!"

Tristan, Michael, Brandon, and Gabriel just looked at her.

"Not being able to walk has nothing to do with your mind," Annie continued. "So just _knock it off!"_

Mr. Haney came back in. "Miss Ecclesall, is there a problem?"

"Not anymore, sir."

"Good.Here is your book.Don't forget about the homework!It's due tomorrow.Class dismissed." The bell rang as Mr. Haney said this.

The class went out of the door, rejoicing at their freedom.Rory hung back with Annie. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah.Thanks." Annie unlocked her wheels and rolled towards the door. "I just…I just _hate_ people like that."

"I can understand."

"I just wish there was something I could do about it.But there isn't."

Lorelai Gilmore considered the contents of her cabinet. "Tuna or chicken?"

"Tuna, please," Rory requested.

Lorelai took the box of Tuna Helper out of the cabinet. "So, anything exciting at school?"

"There's a new girl.Her name is Annie Ecclesall."

"Ecclesall, Ecclesall.We just hired a new part-time chef today named Maire Ecclesall."

"I don't know, it could be her mom.Annie seems really nice.But she blew up today at Tristan, Michael, Gabriel, and Brandon."

"Not the Snob Patrol?" Lorelai gasped.

"Yeah.They were teasing her about not being able to walk."

"She can't walk?"

"No, she's in a wheelchair. That's how I met her; she fell out of her chair and I had to help her back in."

"How very charitable of you." Lorelai turned the box around and began to read the directions.

"Thanks.I feel kind of bad for her, though."

"Well, I'm sure she doesn't need your pity, Rory."

"Thanks," Rory said dryly. "Hey, I'm going to study.Call me when dinner's done."

"Will do!"

Maire Ecclesall faced her daughter. "Tell me the truth, Ariana, how was school?"

"It was okay," Annie said cautiously.She maneuvered her way around the table, setting places for herself, her parents, and her brother James. "It was fine, actually.I met a nice girl named Rory." _But the mean ones outnumbered the good ones_.

"Well, that's fine," Maire sighed, and breathed a sigh of relief. She had hoped that Annie would do well in Chilton, and everything seemed to be working out okay.

Sullivan Ecclesall came in then, and he smiled when he saw Annie and Maire talking.Annie had changed out of her Chilton uniform and now wore jeans and a sweater. "So, did you get the job, Maire?"

"Certainly!" Maire answered with a smile, giving him a kiss. "And the manager is the nicest person, her name is Lorelai Gilmore."

Annie nearly dropped the plate. "Lorelai _Gilmore?"_How many Gilmores could there be in Stars Hollow. "Does she have a daughter named Rory?"

"Yes, she does," Maire answered.

"Rory was the girl I met at school today!" Annie exclaimed gleefully. "That's fantastic, Mom!" She rolled forward and hugged her mother tightly around the wait.

"Well, we'll have to invite them over for dinner one night," Maire said.

"Great!" Annie cried. "How about Friday?"

"Well, we have to go to my grandparents' on Friday," Rory said apologetically on the phone. "But I'm sure they'd love it if I brought a friend, especially a Chilton friend."

"Oh," said Annie, softly. "Well, I guess I can ask my mom.Hold on."

She set down the phone and went off to ask her mother.Rory took the opportunity to eat another bite of Tuna Helper. "Hey, Mom!Can Annie go to the grandparents' with us?"

"Sure!" Lorelai called back.

In a moment, Annie was back. "My mom says it's okay if it's okay with your mom." The old excitement was back in her voice.

"Okay," Rory agreed. "We'll pick you up at about six-thirty.Where do you live?"  
"1200 Marchand Street, in Riverford," Annie answered.

"Great!See you then!"

There was an audible click as Rory hung up the phone, and Annie grinned to herself. "I have a_ friend_," she whispered to the now-empty room. "I have a _friend!!"_


	2. Dancing Alone, Somewhere in Time, Alone

On Friday at six-thirty, Lorelai pulled up in front of Annie's house

On Friday at six-thirty, Lorelai pulled up in front of Annie's house.Annie and her brother were out in the front yard, and Annie was wearing a skirt. "That's Annie?" Lorelai asked.

"Yep," Rory said happily. "Hi, Annie!"

"Hi, Rory!" Annie greeted her friend gleefully. "Rory, this is my brother, James."

The solemn nine-year-old regarded Rory. "Take good care of my Annie, okay?"

"Okay," Rory agreed.

"Mom, Rory's here!" Annie called into the house, turning her chair around towards the front door.

A tall, brown-haired woman came out of the house, smiling. "Lorelai, hi!Isn't this such a coincidence that our daughters are friends?"

"Sure is," Lorelai agreed. "Rory, this is Maire Ecclesall."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Ecclesall," Rory said.

"I've heard all about how you rescued my daughter," Maire said. "Thank you, Rory."

"Oh, you're welcome," Rory said, a little embarrassed by such praise.

"Mom, we have to go," Annie said quickly, trying to head off more embarrassing conversation.

"Right," Maire said, coming back to reality.She helped Annie get into the car, and folded up Annie's wheelchair and put it in the back. "See you later!"

"Bye, Annie!" James called.

"Bye, James!" Annie responded. "He's a sweet kid."  
Lorelai nodded. "Very protective."

"Yeah," Annie agreed.

All too soon it seemed to Rory, the car pulled up at the Hartford residence of Emily and Richard Gilmore.Annie sat shell-shocked in the back. "_This_ is their _house?_It looks like a museum!"

Rory chuckled. "Sometimes, it does."

Emily Gilmore met them at the door – Annie, Rory, and Lorelai. "You've brought a friend," she said.There was something odd in her voice.Rory wasn't sure what.

"Grandma, this is Annie Ecclesall, a friend from Chilton."

"Chilton?" Emily was staring at Annie; her mind was elsewhere.

"You know, that school where Rory goes," Lorelai helped.

Emily was so caught up that she barely noticed the joke. "Yes, well, uh, come in.Can I take your coats?"

When the coats were hung up, Emily ushered them all into the living room, where Richard was. "Richard, this is Rory's friend Annie."

"Annie what?" Richard asked, looking up from the paper.When he saw the petite girl in the wheelchair, he smiled and said, "Well, you're very pretty, Annie.Although I must say, I was expecting a rather larger person from the way Rory described you, standing up to those bullies."

Annie smiled at the praise. "I'm Annie Ecclesall, sir.Thank you for the compliment."

"Well, what would you ladies like to drink?" Emily asked.

"Uh, cranberry juice," Rory answered.

"Cranberry juice," Annie agreed. "That sounds, um, interesting."

"Ecclesall, did you say?" Richard asked, setting the papers down. "Are you a relation to Anders Ecclesall?"

"He's my great-uncle, sir," Annie answered as Emily went off to get cranberry juice.

Richard nodded. "He is a wonderful man, and an excellent stock-broker."

"Uncle Anders was in a car crash a couple years ago, Mr. Gilmore," Annie said. "He broke his back and is paralyzed.But he still trades stocks like an old pro."

"Good to hear!" Richard exclaimed. "You shouldn't let anything stop you."

"No, sir," Annie agreed.

"Lorelai, could I speak with you a moment?" Emily called from the kitchen.

"Sure thing, Mom," Lorelai agreed, getting up and leaving the girls and Richard to talk.

"What in heaven's name are you doing, Lorelai?Allowing your daughter to befriend that… that…"

"What word are you looking for, Mom?Cripple?I think they banned that in the 1940's."

Emily's face flushed red, that _was_ the word she was looking for.

"Annie is a lovely girl, Mom.She's smart, and funny, and she has a brother who would do anything for her.Her parents are giving and good members of the community.Her mother works at the Inn with me as a cook.They are excellent people." Lorelai took the tray of drinks from her mother. "Just because Annie can't use her legs doesn't mean anything.In fact, I've heard Rory say that because she _can't_ use her legs, her mind works just as well."

Emily stood there, shocked.

Lorelai smiled to herself and resolved to tell the girls about it.

Annie was quiet on the way home. "You didn't hear any of that conversation, did you?" Lorelai asked.

"You mean the fight between you and your mom?Yeah."

"How much?" Rory asked, for she too had heard it.

"Enough." Annie shrugged. "It means nothing.I have to get used to it.People do it all the time."

"But that doesn't make it _right_," Rory said.

"No.It doesn't."

Tristan redeemed himself the following week.Rory was coming up the hall from the library when she saw a cluster of students gathered around something.Leading them, of course, was Gabriel.

"Oh, no," Rory said softly.

Annie was sitting on the floor, her unbending legs stretched in front of her, vainly trying to get back into her wheelchair.She had told Rory that her arms were not strong enough to pull her back in. "Annie," Rory started to say.

The bell rang then.

"Bye, cripple," Gabriel called, and he and his friends went off down the hall.

Annie's eyes filled with tears.

"Gabriel, stop right there," a voice rang out in the corridor.

Tristan Dugray.

"Let me help you," Tristan said to Annie.He carefully lifted her back into her wheelchair.

"T-thank you," Annie said softly, her voice quavering.

"Gabriel, don't bother Annie anymore," Tristan ordered. "Because I'm sure that Mr. Abraham in the guidance would be happy to have a talk with you if you did."

Gabriel scowled at Tristan, and ran off down the hall.

"Is that better?" Tristan asked Annie.

"Yes," she said, and her face lit with a small smile. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," he said, and sauntered off.

Rory was shocked._I will faint_, she thought. _That didn't happen._


	3. A Dance for Two... Or Not?

Annie didn't come to school the rest of that week

Annie didn't come to school the rest of that week.

Rory came out of English and found Tristan standing by her locker. "What do you want, Tristan?"

"I helped your friend," Tristan said.

"Point being?" Rory shoved him aside to get to her locker.

"Now you owe me a favor," he said.

"Since when?"

"Please."

It was the first time Rory had heard Tristan Dugray say "please" and she wasn't sure what to make of it. "What?"

"Get Annie to go out on a date with me."

"Tristan, she hasn't been in school for the past four days.What do you want?"

"I want you to talk to her." For once, Tristan looked, well, _bashful_. "I'm afraid to ask her out; she might say no."

"I doubt she will after the way you played Superman the other day."

Tristan's cheeks flamed with color. "Well…"

"If I see her, I'll ask her."

"Thank you."

"But I won't make any promises!" Rory called after him as he went down the hallway.

"Hi, Mrs. Ecclesall, is Annie there?"

"No, I'm sorry, sweetie, she can't come to the phone right now.Can I take a message?"

"Well, it's kind of personal.Do you know when I'll be able to get a hold of her?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and then Maire Ecclesall said, "Rory, honey, I'm sorry.Annie's in the hospital right now."

"What for?" Rory asked, shocked.

"She was running a high fever and she collapsed the other day.They've put a tube down her throat to help her breathe.She can't talk right now.Would you like to come to the hospital to see her?"

"Could I?"

"I have visiting hours tonight from eight to eight-thirty."

"Okay," Rory said. "Thanks, Mrs. Ecclesall."

"Okay, bye!I'll be back at nine!" Rory called to Lorelai as she was heading out in the rain.

"Bye!" Lorelai answered.She was watching CNN and eating a day-old doughnut.As Rory left, she stood up, got her coat and umbrella, and headed out the door, going to Luke's.Well, where else would she go?

"Stop pounding on my door!" Luke demanded as Lorelai appeared on his front step.

"Well, if you wouldn't _lock_ it, I wouldn't have to."  
"Don't pound on it!" Luke said insolently.

"Luke, it's not a battering ram, it's an umbrella."

Luke unlocked the door and let Lorelai in.She settled herself at the counter.Luke poured her a cup of coffee. "Where's your Mini Me?"

"Rory?Oh, she went to the Hartford Hospital."

"What for?" Luke asked.

"Her new friend, Annie Ecclesall, is in serious condition there, and Maire Ecclesall suggested that Rory might like to go see Annie."

Luke's face grew thoughtful for a moment. "That's very sad."

"Yes, but I'm glad that Annie has someone like Rory, and Rory has someone like Annie."

"Truth, truth," Luke agreed. "Now, are you going to order or not?"

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Ecclesall," Rory said as they were coming up the steps and into the third floor hallway.Rory was trying not to gasp; there certainly were a lot of stairs!

"Oh, it's no problem," Maire said. "You're such a kind girl, and a good friend to Annie."

Rory's face flushed with the praise. "So, Mrs. Ecclesall –.."

"Maire."

"How did Annie end up in a wheelchair?" They were rounding the corner and going down the hallway.

"A genetic disease, called Roondalev's." She pronounced it "Roon-dull-eaves." "It dulls the nervous system and caused Annie's spinal cord to shut down.She just learned how to push herself in the chair a few months ago.Before that, she was fully paralyzed."

They came up to Annie's room. "Here we are," Maire said.She knocked softly.When a clicking noise came from inside, she pushed the door open.

Annie was lying flat on her back on the hospital bed.There was a mirror that had been placed on the ceiling and then another one near it so she could see who she was talking to.A tube was inserted into her throat (a tracheotomy, Maire said), and she was hooked up to various machines. "Hi, babe," Maire said.

Annie gave a smile and a click.

"She's saying hi," Maire translated.

Rory sat down near the mirror at the foot of the bed and said, "Tristan wants to date you, Annie."

There came a series of rapid clicks. "What does that mean?" Rory asked Maire.

"She's laughing," Maire responded.

Annie's hand flailed for a moment, and Maire put a pencil into it, and held the paper tablet for her daughter.She held up the tablet a minute later so Rory could read it: "_Why does he want to date me?I'm a nobody, and he's a Black Plague Boy."_

Rory grinned. "Beats me.I think he _likes_ you, though."

Annie rolled her eyes, and Rory caught it in the mirrors. "Hey!" Rory said. "I'm just making an observation."

Annie laughed again.

"How long do you have to have that tube in?" Rory asked.

Annie took up the pencil again and laboriously scrawled, "_Oh, for a few weeks, or so, until I get stabilized."_

"Okay." Rory nodded. "If you need any help with your homework, or anything, I'm glad to help.I'll bring it by for you."

Annie nodded vigorously, and clicked something at her mother.It was obviously a set of coded clicks, for Maire nodded and said, "Annie wants to know if Tristan would ever come visit her, if he wants to see her so much."

"I'm not sure," Rory said, as she mused the question. "Probably not.He's not the hospital type."

Again with the laughter.

Rory smiled.She was about to say something else, when a nurse came in. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Ecclesall, but visiting hours are over."

"Thanks, Jean.Hey, this is Annie's friend Rory, and she wants to bring Annie her homework tomorrow.Will that be okay?"

"Sure thing, if you come between six and seven," the nurse answered.

"Will do," Rory agreed.

She left the room as Maire said her good-bye to Annie, and as she stood in the hall, Rory was thinking _If only people knew how great Annie was, then they'd understand.If they understood what she has to go through, then they'd understand._

Headmaster Carlton called Rory to his office the next day. "Rory Gilmore?"

"Yes?"

"There is going to be a speech competition next week," Headmaster Carlton said. "I was wondering if you wanted to enter."

"Oh, yes, sir, I'd love to!" Rory agreed.

"Good.I'll expect your final draft of the speech by next Tuesday.The competition is on Friday, in front of the entire student body."

"Thank you, sir, for the invitation!"

"Oh, it's no problem, Rory.Just make sure you have it in by Tuesday." Headmaster Carlton stood, shook her hand, and Rory headed out.

_And I know just what to do it on_.


	4. The Speech Competition

"Ladies and gentlemen, honored students and faculty, staff of Chilton, may I have your attention _please_." Headmaster Charleston stood before the students, teachers, and a few guests. "I now present to you our four students who will be competing in this year's Chilton Speech Competition.First up is Donald Seymour, a junior from Mrs. Eddlesworth's class."

Donald, a tall, bespectacled boy, made a speech about the environment.It was obviously very well researched, and the judges made quick marks on their papers.

Second was Nancy Parker, a freshman who made a speech about the treatment of animals in Connecticut, and how to help the "Save the Animals Fund."

Third was senior Michael Corr.He gave a speech about graduating from Chilton, and what it meant to him._Suck-up_, Rory thought. _He only did that because he knows he'll get extra points_.

"And now, Miss Rory Gilmore, a sophomore, from Mr. Medina's class."

Rory stood, adjusted her note cards, and headed for the podium. "Good afternoon, students, judges, faculty.I wish to give a short speech about an amazing girl and one of my heroes."

She cleared her throat, and began, "Annie Ecclesall is fifteen years old.When she was first born, Annie was like any other girl.But soon after her fourth birthday, her nervous system began to shut down, and her spinal cord was paralyzed.This was due to a genetic disease called Roondalev's.

"Annie is an amazing person.Though she is almost fully paralyzed, she insists on doing things for herself, and can almost do all of the necessary things in life.Because her arms aren't strong enough, she cannot lift herself into her wheelchair, however.But this is one of her shortcomings, and there are many, many more things Annie is wonderful at.

"Besides being a giving, caring person, Annie is smart, funny, and kind.She is understanding.But many people consider her to be stupid, just because she is in a wheelchair.This is a common prejudice, and some members of my own family believe it.Thankfully, there _are_ people in the world who don't believe it, and they are the best people in the world.

"Think for one moment.What would your life be like if you were in a wheelchair?How would people treat you?You couldn't walk, or participate in gym class, dance, or even belong to a sports team.I would like to share with you a verse now that I think will make a lot of sense.

" 'In life, we are all dancing for someone.We may be dancing forever, or not for so long.But dancing is just a form of walking.And we all dance.Who are you dancing for?'This quote was said by a woman named Bernadette Royal.Annie is dancing for someone.Annie is dancing for everyone, but no one is watching her.Please, watch Annie dance.She is remarkable.Thank you."

Rory stepped down from the podium.

Thunderous applause filled the hall.The judges were writing on their pads of paper.Headmaster Charleston stepped to the front of the hall and said, "Now, the judges have made their final decisions." He took a sheet of paper from one of the judges. "In fourth place, Nancy Parker, with her speech on fair treatment for animals."

Applause filled the hall for Nancy, who stood to receive her ribbon.

"In third place, Donald Seymour, with an excellent speech on the environment."

Donald beamed as he received his ribbon.

"And in second place, Michael Corr with his speech 'Graduating from Chilton.'"

Michael scowled. _Whatever happened to first place?_ he thought to himself.

Rory was stunned.What did this mean?She had won!She won the speech contest!

"And in first place, Rory Gilmore, with her _outstanding_ speech on Annie Ecclesall."

Rory stood, her mind still numb.What?She had won?

Headmaster Charleston pinned the first-place blue ribbon on Rory's blazer.

_Whoa_, Rory thought. _Did I win?_

The reality didn't set in until the next day.


	5. Requiem for a Flower / Sand and Water

AN: The lyrics at the end are by Beth Nielsen Chapman, from her song "Sand and Water

AN: The lyrics at the end are by Beth Nielsen Chapman, from her song "Sand and Water."

Saturday night, Lorelai was watching _Walker: Texas Ranger and eating popcorn.Rory was reading __Dancing for Someone.She had borrowed it from the Stars Hollow library.Written by Bernadette Royal, __Dancing for Someone told the story of Lindsay Moynihan, a stunning ballet dancer who was sadly paralyzed in an automobile accident.She had relearned how to dance, in a different way, after her accident._

The phone rang then, and Lorelai stood to answer it. "Hello?Yes, this is she.Oh, Maire, is something wrong?"

Rory looked up.

"Okay.Yes, I'll tell her.I'm sorry, Maire.Yes, it was good to know you, too.Yes, okay.All right.Take care.Bye."

"Mom?" Rory asked confusedly, as Lorelai came into the living room.

Lorelai turned off the TV. "That was Maire Ecclesall."

"Is something wrong?"

Lorelai took a deep breath. "Kid, there's no easy way to say this.Um.Annie, um, went into a coma last night after she had a seizure.She died, Rory."

Rory sat on the couch, trying to comprehend what Lorelai had said.Her eyes filled with tears.Lorelai sat down next to her and held her daughter tight. "Shh, it's okay.It's okay to cry, you know.That's what Maire said on the phone."

"She was a really good friend," Rory sobbed.

"It's okay, shh," Lorelai said, trying to console her daughter.

At that moment, something hit the window with a flapping of wings and a fluttering of a bird-like body, and a white bird flew away from the Gilmore house.

Rory walked slowly along the pathway leading to Amorus Hall, on the south part of Chilton.As she walked, she was thinking.Her thoughts were, as usual, about Annie.

_I only wish there was something I could do, some memorial type thing…_

After an exceedingly boring history class, Rory walked alongside the small channel of the Westbrook River that ran along Chilton's east boundary.A small flower, perfect in shape and form, fell from a tree above and landed neatly in the water.As Rory watched it sail away, she realized something.

"We are all sailing on the river of life," she said aloud.It felt good to hear her own voice. "We are all sailing," she repeated. "And we never sink, we just… well, we just sail off into the distance." A pause. "Goodbye, Annie.And… thank you."

With that, Rory turned from the water and headed back up to Chilton's main building._We are all dancing for someone.Who are you__dancing for?_

All alone I didn't like the feeling 

_All alone I sat and cried_

_All alone I had to find some meaning_

_In the center of the pain I felt inside_

_ _

_All alone I came into this world_

_All alone I will someday die_

_Solid stone is just sand and water, baby_

_Sand and water, and a million years gone by_


End file.
